Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
by Lady Sinister
Summary: Harry reaches his 6th year at Hogwarts, and has a few pleasant, and many unpleasant suprises waiting for him. Find out what happened to Fudge, who the new Minister of Magic is, and many more things are in store for the Trio this year. -Ladysinister.
1. Letters To Nobody

J.K.Rowling owns all the characters and locations! I did not create them.

**Harry Potter and the Half blood Prince**

Chapter 1-Letters to nobody

At number 4, privet drive, it was a glorious summer morning. The birds sung their celestial tunes, the butterflies pirouetted through the air, and the sun slid upon the lush green leaves of the trees causing a green glow to illuminate the surroundings. The local inhabitants of little whinging, and in fact nature itself, were celebrating the first burst of summer sunshine. Yet Harry Potter remaining cooped up in his bedroom, slumped upon his bed, staring into space.

The summer has not been it best for Harry Potter. Distraught over the death of his Godfather, he had spent his days shut away from the outside world. The teenage boy closed his eyes wearily, hoping that blessed sleep that he so desperately needed would fall upon him. But it was not so. Harry had barely any sleep through out the first few days of his stay at privet drive, and the precious sleep he did get was only to be interrupted by visions of a shadowy figure behind a billowing veil.

Harry's eyes snapped over as something collided with the window and caused a soft 'thud'. Harry saw, to his relief, that is was only an owl that had caused the disturbance. Harry's memory briefly flickered back to his fourth year, where beautiful and highly exotic birds used to arrive at his window, signalling to Harry he would soon be reading an amusing letter from Sirius. Harry found himself once again holding back tears, as he had done so many times that summer. As the flapped its wings against the window impatiently Harry was brought sharply back to reality. He made his way to the window, feeling more drained of energy than ever, and flipped the latch carelessly, allowing the owl to swoop in and drop a tattered copy of the daily prophet unceremoniously upon his bedspread.

Harry lurched towards the paper and quickly found the information he craved to know, yet the information he knew he would do best without knowing. Recent deaths. But before his tired emerald eyes had time to scan the most recent deaths, he found the tawny plumage of the delivery owl blocking his view. The bird flung out its leg, and Harry hurriedly placed 5 knuts into the little leather pouch that was strapped to the creature. Harry had decided to re-subscribe to the prophet since no other than his past professor, Remus Lupin, had been given the post of Minister for Magic. His vision soon fell upon the recent deaths and he felt his stomach lurch. Once again the location of the latest destruction was circling little whinging, getting closer and close with each paper.

Harry felt physically and emotionally sickened. Voldemort's mind games would meet no ends, Harry knew that. He tried not to let the gruesome stories of the latest deaths throw him, yet when he read of innocent muggle babies dying at the hands of death eaters, and pictures of the dark mark soaring above local villages, he couldn't help but feel guilt weighing him down.

_If I wasn't here…none of this would have happened_

No, Harry told himself sharply, he mustn't think that way. Yet the thought kept coming back to him, and on recalling the prophecy Harry couldn't help but think it was a lost cause. How was a teenage boy supposed to compare to a dark wizard at the height of his power? The feeling of hopelessness he had been feeling over the past few months was returning to him. Nobody, Harry thought, truly understood the meaning of 'the weight of the world on your shoulders'.

"Get a grip Harry…" he found himself muttering under his breath, trying to ignore the sharp stabbing pains in his scar that he kept experiencing.

Harry's eyes then scrolled to the main headline of the paper, it read:

**New Minister seeks alliance with Muggle prime minister**

Harry wasn't shocked in the least when he discovered Fudge had resigned from his post; though Fudge claimed he was 'at the end of his career' Harry knew full well it was the shame of not recognising Voldemort had returned. But what Harry didn't understand was why Lupin had been given the job. Harry could think of no-one more considerate or caring for the roll, yet the decision still shocked him, as Lupin wasn't exactly the most popular person within the public, due to the fact he's a werewolf.

It was then that Harry discovered why, his eyes scanned across a picture of the great Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who was gesturing to an audience and clearly giving some sort of speech. A small caption below the picture read:

_Albus Dumbledore giving a speech to the public turning down the position of Minister of Magic._

Harry scanned the article quickly; it explained that Dumbledore himself had turned down the position though he had much support behind him. It also said that Dumbledore then proceeded to give a list of people he thought appropriate for the job, Lupin being top of the list. Harry felt sadness creep up upon him again as he read that there had been many revolts since Lupin was assigned the position, and that many ministry members had resigned in protest.

Why, Harry wondered to himself, did people react in this way, merely because a werewolf was their new minister? Many people despised Voldemort on the grounds that he was against anyone without a "pure" ancestry, yet they won't accept a werewolf? Harry shook his head, angry at himself to find angry tears streaming down his cheeks. He slid up the loose floorboard beneath his bed and surveyed the many crammed together issues of the prophet, he forced the most recent issue on the top of the pile then slumped down upon his bed.

Soon Harry felt the desire to go downstairs, as his room only brought back painful memories. Before heading down stairs he pulled open his wardrobe door and peered anxiously at his reflection. His physically appearance had certainly altered dramatically over the past few weeks, his once colourful complexion was now a permanent shade of white, and his sleep deprivation was certainly beginning to show around his eyes. He shut the cupboard and slumped against it, feeling thoroughly miserable with himself. Soon he was making his way down the stairs, adjusting his belt so it was tighter still, for his appetite had evaporated into almost nothing recently.

He noticed, somewhat apprehensively that there was a lot of noise coming from the living room. He crept to the doorway, his hand clenched on his wand ,only to find Dudley and his gang drinking what looked suspiciously like beer, slumped on the sofa that was creaking ominously with all their weight. Each of them was ranting individually, none of them paying the slightest attention to what any of the others were saying.

At that moment Harry's aunt stepped timidly into the room and silence fell. Piers hastily tried to hide his can of beer, slopping it down his front in the process.

"H-having fun boys?" Petunia asked apprehensively.

Harry knew perfectly well they _weren't _having fun. Dudley and his friend's prospects for the summer had taken a turn for the worst with all the suspicious deaths going on, they had all been banned from going outdoors by their over protective mothers and subjected to going round each others houses instead of hanging out on street corners. Aunt Petunia had been particularly anxious, as she was the only one who knew the truth as to why the deaths were happening.

A while later, after Harry had spent a restless day watching the news, he walked past the kitchen on his way to the stairs, to find his aunt, uncle and cousin all sat at the table preparing to eat. Harry tried to slip away unnoticed, but before he had the opportunity his aunt beckoned him and said to him, averting her eyes:

"Would you like some dinner?"

Harry was unsure why, but a simple question like that brought a frog in his throat, and he knew that if he spoke he would surely end up in tears. He could not remember a point in his life where he felt so emotionally fragile. Harry shook his head hastily, and took one last look at his red-faced uncle before returning to his bedroom. He distinctly heard his uncle say:

"-don't know what's wrong with the boy."

Harry spent hours in a stupor, laying on his bed in suspended misery, not even the prospect of letters from his best friends could take his mind off things, as there wasn't much point in writing to him, as they couldn't tell him any news on Dumbledore's orders. Occasionally he saw a flash of green light, not really sure if it was coming from nearby, or if it was merely his imagination. It was only after Hedwig came back from her night's hunt, a dead frog clutched in her beak, that he rose from his bed and drifted over to his desk. He sat on the half-broken chair, that Dudley had once kicked at in one of his tantrums, and found warm tears sting the bottom of his eyelids as he saw the many letters from Sirius that littered the desk. He rifled around and soon found a spare piece of parchment, dipped his eagle feather quill into the ink, and began to write. His hand shook so hard that the words were barely recognisable, and his tears splattered the page. As he finished he picked up the letter with a quivering hand and read:

_Dear Sirius,_

_I'm so, so sorry. I never meant for it to turn out this way. It my fault that you died, I know it, no matter how much people try to pretend, that's the truth._

_It's so tough…first I never grew up with a mum and dad, but then you came along and everything felt right again. As stupid as it sounds I had a kind of…y'know, father figure. You. And once again it's my fault you're gone. Sometimes I just wish I didn't exist, and then the world would be much better off._

_Do you hate me Sirius? I'd give anything to be with you right now. Everything's empty without you._

_Write back, please._

_Harry._

Shakily he wrote on the front of the yellowing envelope:

_Beyond the veil_.

"T-take this…to Sirius." Harry said, beckoning his snowy owl, his voice not at all like it usually sounded.

Hedwig looked reproachfully at him, this wasn't the first time he had asked her to deliver a letter to Sirius, and she had searched fruitlessly for him, yet she never found him. He looked at her with tearful eyes, and she allowed him to tie the letter to her leg, resigned to her fate.

Harry say at his desk for quite some time after Hedwig departed, waiting for the moment she returned. Wondering vaguely where she left the letters, because she never had the heart to return the unopened letters back to him.

Next chapter: Harry's birthday.

A/N: Dedicated to Mr.Gomez ;), who wished me to attack snape with trash cans xD


	2. The Worst Birthday

J.K.Rowling owns all the characters and locations! I did not create them.

Chapter 2-The Worst Birthday

Harry lay awake, splayed out upon his bedspread still dressed in the early hours of the morning. He rolled over grumbling slightly, ever trace of drowsiness that should be felt in the early hours of day non-existent. He rubbed his scar angrily, it had never stopped hurting since Voldemorts evident return, and it felt like one long, everlasting, headache. Every now and then the pain would increase dramatically and then subside, and Harry knew that the pain he was feeling was only a fraction of the pain others were feeling at the same time.

The feint image of the veil was still imprinted upon his memory, the shadowy figure never moving, yet the veil billowing constantly. Harry shook his head, he knew he must stop thinking about the veil; the trouble was he just _couldn't._ He grappled around his bedside cabinet for_ Quidditch through the Ages_ and tried, with no real conviction, to distract himself from the haunting visions of the department of mysteries. His eyes scanned the page, yet they could not focus themselves on one point, too distracted to read.

Harry snapped the book shut quickly, causing Dudley to give a great grunting snore in the other room. Not even Quidditch, Harry's escape from his troubles, could stop the pain he was feeling right now. For a few moments satisfying thoughts of being made Quidditch captain wove in and out of his musings. Thinking about pre-match pep talks, and new members shifted his thoughts, if only briefly, as he found consolation in them. He could see the badge glinting under the sunshine; he could imagine himself clutching the Quidditch cup, Malfoy burning with jealousy…

_Tick-tick-tick_

Harry scrabbled about in the tangle of his bed-spread and soon released himself and leapt to his feet, cricking his neck quite painfully in the process. He whipped out his wand whilst massaging his neck with his left hand, and tried, without any real progress, to stop his wand hand from quivering. Once again came the same sinister clinking noise, Harry gasped, taking a step back, there was a shadowy figure bobbing up and down at his window…he opened his mouth to yell, half paralysed with fear, then thought once again about what he had just seen.

_Bobbing up and down?_

Harry shifted towards the light switch, and flicked it on, only to find a tawny owl bobbing up and down at the window frame. Harry could have burst into peals of laughter there and then, yet he compromised by stuffing his fist into his mouth to stifle the laughter, clutching a stitch in his side. One he had recovered from his laughing fit he tip-toed towards the window, still very conscious of the sleeping Dursley's next door to his bedroom. Still smiling with amusement he carelessly flipped the latch on the window, allowing the very disgruntled tawny owl to come tumbling in. Evidently it had been waiting there quite some time.

Harry, though still amused was highly suspicious of the letter. Who would send post at this time in the morning? He tentatively took the yellow parchment from the tawny owls leg, and allowed it to soar out through the open window, hooting indignantly. Just as he was about the unseal the envelop he remember restlessly how his heart would skip a beat out of excitement when a great, colourful bird would swoop down on his window sill two short years ago. He always knew when one of the birds arrived that he would shortly be reading a highly amusing letter from his recently found Godfather.

He slid open the parchment with a shaking finger, and sighed a breath of relief as he saw the Hogwarts 'H' in glittering emerald ink, surround by a badger, a raven, a snake, and the Gryffindor lion. But the relieved smile that had once occupied his face soon slid off it as his eyes fell upon the date.

_July 31st._

Harry took a deep intake of breath, yet all he felt with numb and a strange sense of loneliness. He was 16, 16 today…yet Sirius wasn't there to celebrate with him, the way things should have been…

Harry slumped upon the edge of his bed, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. He then paused and wiped the tears away with his sleeve. No, Harry told himself firmly, let concentrate on other things…think about other stuff. He gave himself a firm shake, then turned upon the envelope and shook it upside down above his bedspread, looking at it expectantly, waiting for the glistening silver badge to fall out with a satisfying 'flump' upon his sheets. Yet it did not come.

Harry breathed slowly and deeply, surely Dumbledore wasn't denying him something he deserved, _two years in a row_. And on his _birthday? _Harry quickly pulled out a piece of yellowing parchment, and found attached to it another piece of paper, written on with loopy handwriting in the same glimmering emerald ink that always made Harry's heart skip a tender beat. Harry's eyes began to move swiftly from left to right. The letter read:

_Dear Harry,_

_I beg of you Harry, that you are not angry at and old man such as myself for not appointing you Quidditch Captain-_

Harry had the sudden urge to rip the letter up, his anger reaching boiling point as he tensed, but as he read on he began to relax-

_-Please do not rip this up Harry, although as this point in the letter you have every right to. I have a very good reason for not giving you the position, and also the unpleasant task of giving you equally unpleasant news. Harry, in every war there are casualties. Fortunately nobody you have known and loves has been one of those casualties so far, but believe me when I say there are others was have lost. And unfortunately Harry, the Weasley family have recently lost someone they know and love._

Harry's eyes unfocused as he tried to take and intake of breath, yet his lungs were icy cold, he was paralysed with fear. Not Ron…it couldn't be…

_I am afraid Ron's eldest brother, Bill, died at the hands of Voldemort's Deatheaters._

Harry gasped, tears escaping his weary eyelids. His tears splattered upon the parchment, smudging the emerald ink that no longer seemed as magical as it had moments ago. He looked at the desk, littered with old letters from Sirius for words of consolation, knowing full-well that none would come. He then continued to read:

_I am afraid others have been taken amongst the order, but none of those who you have become close with._

_The weasley family are in a state of shock, that is why I thought giving Ron the task of captain might lift the families spirits, if only slightly. Hopefully it will be something for them to celebrate in between all this worry. I also thought that if I gave you the prestigious position, it would consume far too much of your time, giving you less time to focus your efforts on my "army". It is my wish that you continue your efforts with the "D.A", but you must be extremely discreet Harry. You cannot just randomly ask someone to join, you must keep it the members you had last year and only ask people who can be trusted to join, once you have received my opinion._

_And Harry, you must remember that certain members of Hogwarts, sons of well known death eaters for instance, must not find out what you are doing._

_Professor Dumbledore._

Harry knew Dumbledore was referring to Malfoy, but he couldn't spare a thought him. He had known, when Voldemort had risen, that inevitably there would be casualties when war truly broke out. But now that it had affected someone so he had known for such a long period of time, it all seemed so much more real to him. It had been twice in one year Dumbledore had let Harry down, yet this time Harry didn't feel remotely angry at the headmaster, all his emotions had turned to sorrow. And to think he had been angry at Ron for not writing to him…

Harry vaguely noticed a P.S. at the bottom of the note which included details of what he would need for the year, it read:

_P.S. Please find enclosed a separate slip of parchment with the results of your O.W.L examination._

Harry didn't even bother to read for the other piece of parchment, Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, had agreed he would not open his until they were all together again, at which point they would open them together.

Harry spent the rest of the day in a state of shock, eating barely a thing, and not even noticed how concerned his aunt had become about him. After darkness had fallen he lay on his bed, thinking miserably that it had been the worst birthday of his life, when he saw a flash green light across his bedroom ceiling. He leapt to his feet for the second time that day, his mind racing, surely someone wouldn't be using the Avada Kedavra curse ,here, in little whinging?

He peered suspiciously out of his window, his heart making an unpleasantly fast rhythm in his throat, when he saw unmistakable green wand sparks. He felt a surge of hope, Dumbledore had told him to look out for wand sparks at the end of the last term, and he had said it was the signal that the advanced guard were coming to take him away.

A/N: Dedicated again to my boyfriend, who wished me to have Snape attacked my dustbin's. (Muse: 'Now theres an idea…') And also to my two best friends Rozie and Jamie! (sniffs Rozie get back from holiday soon girl!)

Replies:

Kingofagony- Thank you very much! I appreciate your praise ) it feeds my muse and make him want to work harder!

Kitties-rule- Hehe! Thanks! Lots more angst coming, trust me!

Cox Poppy- I can't wait either! Now there's a point! A havn't even decided what he got yet!

I think your very right on Harry's characteristics, but he didn't technicallycry in front of the Dursleys ;) he ran off and tried to stop the tears in the safety of his room in good old Harry-style.

Thanks very much though, this has helped me realize I was slipping away from his character a bit! Hopefully you'll review more chapters and keep me on my toes!

RecorderofRedwall- If this one made you cry, perhaps you should stop reading this Fanfic! Hehe, just joking, but much more sorrow to come, unfortunately.

Delumacar- Thanks! Will do )

Littleflower2004- Thank you very much littleflower! You lot are really help building up my confidence! Hopefully I'll get round to reading the story soon, but I've got a lot on at the moment. Opening a new role-play site fan fiction chapters and SATs (Yes, I'm only 13 years old) I guess I chose an odd time to start a fanfiction…heh!

Des Felidra- Tone down the caps locks hun. ;)

Dracoslovingirl- Thanks very much! I can tell by your review you're a very sincere person, I'm touched by how much you like it so far! I'm trying my hardest to keep it to what I imagine the sixth book to be like, because I get frustrated when I stray too far from the boundaries

(I'm also slightly concerned by your name! who could love Drace...twitchy little ferret! P)

Smellycat-190- Thankyou very much! And by the way, I'm loving your name!

Griffindor16- I miss Sirius too! And Harry certainly does! I read on J.K.Rowlings official website that she cried after she killed off Sirius. Bless her!

Demonchild4110- AWW! Sorry but your review made me feel very enlightened! You lot certainly boost my courage! As stupid as It sounds, I feel like I know Harry from reading the books…over…and over…and over again! xD

I imagine Dudley like that too! Ha! Well at least I hope he turns out that way, bullying prat!

I look forward to more reviews from you!

Sniffles4padfoot- Thanks! I can't wait for more reviews so keep 'em coming.

Purpledancingmonkey- Thanks, that's very much appreciated, im glad you enjoyed it! And fab name ;)


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